Aroldis Chapman vs Jonathan Papelbon: Career Stats Comparison
Aroldis Chapman has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Aroldis Chapman has played 2010–present as a pitcher; Jonathan Papelbon played 2005–2016 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Aroldis Chapman (2010–present) and Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Aroldis Chapman has 63 wins and 1,402 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Jonathan Papelbon finished with 41 wins and 808 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Aroldis Chapman's 2.48.
- Who won more games? Aroldis Chapman, with 63 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Aroldis Chapman, with 1,402 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Aroldis Chapman's 1.08.
- Who pitched more innings? Aroldis Chapman, with 873.0 to Jonathan Papelbon's 725.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Aroldis Chapman, with 36,308 career Pitcher PIV to Jonathan Papelbon's 24,416.
Aroldis Chapman
Jonathan Papelbon
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Aroldis Chapman is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Aroldis Chapman | Jonathan Papelbon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 63 | 41 |
| Losses not scored | 52 | 36 |
| Games | Leads: 916 | 689 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 402 | 368 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,402 | 808 |
| Walks not scored | 431 | 185 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 510 | 572 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 873.0 | 725.2 |
| ERA | 2.48 | Leads: 2.44 |
| WHIP | 1.08 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | Leads: 14.45 | 10.02 |
| BB/9 | 4.44 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Aroldis Chapman outpaces Jonathan Papelbon 36,308 to 24,416 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,017 PIV per season to 1,878, across 18 seasons to 13. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Aroldis Chapman
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Jonathan Papelbon
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Aroldis Chapman leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Jonathan Papelbon owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Aroldis Chapman. PIV agrees: Aroldis Chapman grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Aroldis Chapman and Jonathan Papelbon careers compare
The careers of Aroldis Chapman (2010–present) and Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) overlapped from 2010 to 2016, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 916 games against 689 across 18 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Jonathan Papelbon are starts (3 to 0), ERA (2.44 to 2.48), and WHIP (1.04 to 1.08). By rate, Aroldis Chapman struck out 14.45 and walked 4.44 per nine innings; Jonathan Papelbon struck out 10.02 and walked 2.29. Aroldis Chapman worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 916 games, 402 saves), and Jonathan Papelbon worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 689 games, 368 saves). Aroldis Chapman's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Aroldis Chapman vs Jonathan Papelbon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Aroldis Chapman or Jonathan Papelbon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Aroldis Chapman leads Jonathan Papelbon in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Aroldis Chapman's 2.48.
- Who won more games?
- Aroldis Chapman, with 63 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Aroldis Chapman, with 1,402 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Aroldis Chapman's 1.08.